By now, you should have enough tools in your conversational repertoire to go out and talk with anyone you wish. You have an idea of where to go to look for friends; you can introduce yourself at a business soiree; and you hold a conversation and leave it with a good impression of you in your partners’ minds. You may even have a few new references or friends.
So now it is time to put the book down, go out, and start having conversations with people. Volunteer to go to business conventions, or start practicing around your office. When you walk into a room with people, remember to smile, keep your arms at your sides, and perhaps make eye contact with a few people. Look for items that would make great tools for starting up a conversation, or come up with a topic that you have in common, like why you are at the business convention or some event that has happened within your company.
When you start talking, use variations of open-ended and closed-ended questions to get the other person talking to you. Actively listen to what he or she has to say, and build on those ideas. Get to know the other person, and when the time is right, withdraw gracefully and say that you will talk with him or her again. With any luck, you will have walked away, and future conversations will reveal the start of a beautiful friendship — or the beginning of a romantic relationship. If you are really ambitious, you might even want to visit another country and make friends in entirely different cultures.
One of the best parts about conversation is discovering your own personal style. Do you find that you are witty and can be counted on to provide a humorous yet accurate thought? Or will you be the supportive conversationalist who makes everyone feel special when they talk to you? The choice is yours, and you can mix and match techniques as you please. For that matter, you may want to alter your repertoire once in a while.
Do not worry; the book will be here for you when you need a refresher course. It will provide the same great advice it did the first time, too. There is a world out there full of people waiting for you to talk with them. Ready? One, two, three…